Coach Tony Gustavsson is counting on the "amazing" spirit of his battling Matildas to propel them into the Olympic quarter-finals despite the odds being stacked against them.
The Aussies' Swedish coach was left saluting the collective heart of his team after they rallied from 5-2 down in the second half in Nice to oust Zambia 6-5 and keep their medal dreams flickering on Thursday.
But he knows they must improve out of all recognition to avoid defeat against four-time champs USA in Marseille on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), an outcome that would in all likelihood eliminate them from the tournament at the group stage.
